Science Shows: Prehistory & Archeology

[auntjess]

I want a place to talk about NOVA, and Smithsonian Channel shows.
I'm fascinated by by NOVA's The First Face of America.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/evolution/first-face-america.html?linkId=47713762

Divers in a cave in the Yucatan, discovered the skull of a teen girl (and later her skeleton), and she was carbon dated to 13,000 years ago.  
DNA has linked her to burials found in Alaska.
Other great shows on prehistory, are some of the Smithsonian channel's Mummies Alive.
Also, if anyone want's to talk of Otzi the Iceman, here's a place.

Edited February 12, 2018 by auntjess
To broader topic a bit

[friendperidot]

I love watching shows about archaeology. I know these aren't part of what you listed, but I really enjoy those about "the search for..." some biblical place. I just like to watch how they get to their conclusions and see some parts of countries I will never get to see in real life. I have enjoyed the shows on PBS about the Terracotta Army and several others about discoveries in ancient worlds. I wish I had known it was possible for me back in the 60s and I would love to have studied cultural anthropology. I don't really have much interest in digging up stuff for myself, but after it's been found, putting things together, figuring out what it was and how it was used, yes, that interested me a great deal. Even though I got a degree in history, in those classes, I wanted to know more about what the everyday, common people were doing and less about this or that battle or king.

Edited February 13, 2018 by friendperidot
spelling

[auntjess]

Glad to find a kindred spirit.  I've got several Mummies Alive on my DVR.
I broadened it from just prehistory, to include Herculaneum and Pompeii.
Have you seen Sarah Parcak on shows?https://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_parcak_archeology_from_space

Edited February 13, 2018 by auntjess

[friendperidot]

no, not having any cable or netflix at the moment, I'm limited to what's on PBS and at the moment all of attention is on the Olympics, I just happened to see your topic while I was looking for something else. And I've never had anyone to talk about these kind of shows with, so it's nice to see.

[answerphone]

I just started watching the Nova segment with the ancient skull of the teenage girl. Fascinating.

[walnutqueen]

50 minutes ago, answerphone said:

I just started watching the Nova segment with the ancient skull of the teenage girl. Fascinating.

It's on my DVR, but I will probably wait until after the Olympics to watch.

[auntjess]

Not a national show, but on youtube you can see videos on the Windover swamp people of Florida.
When they were digging land for a subdivision, they found these people buried in an alligator-infested swamp.
http://nbbd.com/godo/history/windover/

[satrunrose]

Not ancient, but my favourite archeology show is Time Team on the BBC. You can find all 20 seasons on youtube and it's delightful. I've learned more about Saxon and Roman Britain that way.

[auntjess]

On ‎4‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 9:31 PM, satrunrose said:

Not ancient, but my favourite archeology show is Time Team on the BBC.

Thanks, I'll have to look for that.
(I'd "like" your post, but on some threads, I can't seem to "like" posts, and this is one of them, tonight.

[Happy Belly]

There used to be a show called The Naked Archaeologist and I believe it was on the History International channel here in the U.S. No, he wasnt unclothed, but for the life of me I cannot remember what was naked about him. Anyway, the show is off the air now and I miss it terribly. He took the viewers to places we would never get into by ourselves. Simcha Jacobovici...please come back! Anyone remember this one?

[auntjess]

4 hours ago, Happy Belly said:

Simcha Jacobovici...please come back! Anyone remember this one?

I don't remember it, but I see he has some hits on youtube.

[Happy Belly]

Thank you auntjess. At least for now I can watch the old shows. 

[friendperidot]

Not exactly prehistory, but I think it fits in the archaeology, Mysteries of the Abandoned on Discovery Science. I've caught it a few time, found it fascinating. I did not know there was a road carved out of the mountain side in southern France, the views are spectacular, but it has to be closed, there is not room for 2 vehicles to pass safely, sections of the road are gone or caved in, but it closed fairly recently, late 20th century. And there was a road made out of wooden planks to connect San Diego to the rest of the country, most of it is gone, it runs along what is now a major highway. It was learned that if they build the roadway up a few inches to a few feet, the wind did not blow it away. They also did Chernobyl, but I slept through that one, not because it was boring, but because of medication. This one is going to one of top "to watch" shows.

Last night I watched one with Josh ___, Expedition Unknown, on Travel Channel, he was searching for gold in the Australian Outback, Harold Lasseters' gold reef and was in Mexico looking for Obsidian under one of the great pyramids, interesting stuff, the host gets a little silly, but overall I like it. 

I am fascinated by the Terracotta Army, I watch nearly every show I can find about it. A couple of years ago, I read a science fiction/alternate history book series and one of the books featured the Terracotta Army being animated by the alien beings. I know, that sounds silly, but it was one of the last books in the series and there had been some interesting takes on history with the aliens. But I think that was when my obsession began.

[auntjess]

I've got some bog bodies on my DVR, not sure which show.
 

[Happy Belly]

On 4/12/2018 at 12:50 PM, friendperidot said:

 

Last night I watched one with Josh ___, Expedition Unknown, on Travel Channel, he was searching for gold in the Australian Outback, Harold Lasseters' gold reef and was in Mexico looking for Obsidian under one of the great pyramids, interesting stuff, the host gets a little silly, but overall I like it.

Josh Gates. Hes had a few series on the Travel Channel including Destination Truth, which was more like a supernatural show (i loved it) and currently airing is Legendary Locations, which is kinda self explantory. i have only warched 2 episodes, but its typical Josh Gates...entertaining, educational and sometimes silly.

[friendperidot]

A few years ago before I gave up the satellite, I used to watch a similar type of show. Might have been called Diggers. Starred a former wrestler, I don't follow wrestling, don't remember his name, first season he had a crew of helpers, they stayed on the east coast mostly. Second season, his crew had been replaced by his wife, 2 sons, lot more squabbling, but it was still kind of fun to watch. Sometimes I cringed at their heavy handed ways of digging with backhoes, etc. the preservationist, historian in my dislikes that there was no preparation of the site and they just dug. They were in it for the money from what they found, he respected the history, but not enough to use proper archaeology techniques. Can anyone remember this show and who it was, it seems like it might have been on Travel, or maybe History but I can't really remember.

[auntjess]

The Diggers show I remember, had two middle-aged guys, and they went around to historic sites, when they could get permission, and they were pretty hokey.
They found old coins, and nails, and I think they dug at the OK Corral.

[Collinwood]

Somebody please tell me that I'm not the only one watching Unearthed on the Science Channel.  I appreciate the fact that not all the episodes are about well-known sites.  I've actually learned quite a bit about Central and South American civilizations.  Anyway, if you're visiting this forum the show is one you might find interesting.  Each episode examines a site such as Ankor Wat and examines the underlying structure and what it would have looked like when it was in use.  It's definitely worth a look and has some nice graphics.

[Happy Belly]

friendperidot i watched that show also. It was called American Digger. The 2nd season, when his wife and son joined the show, it was retitled as Savage Family Diggers. Catchphrase? Boom baby! 

[friendperidot]

Thank you Happy Belly! And Aunt Jess, I remember that one too, I watched for a while, but most of the time, they were pretty...uh...hokey, yes, that is a polite word. Their competitions and then the dumb stuff the loser had to do annoyed me.

Collinwood, I love Unearthed and Mysteries of the Abandoned. Lots of places I had never heard of before, they are interesting to watch. I usually leave my tv set on Discovery Science when I finally go to sleep, they run all night. But, even when I've seen the episode before, I still learn things because I don't exactly sit and pay lots of attention, I talk on FB, I play games, I play with the dogs...

[llkats]

Just found this thread. I was a history teacher for 37 years. My first love has always been archaeology. I have watched all of the shows you mention here. I am excited to know Time Team is available on You Tube. I watched a few seasons and enjoyed it, then it disappeared. After reading your posts I watched the first one and will work through them all. I feel like I was given a gift.

[auntjess]

I've got something recorded the other day, from PBS, Ancient Invisible Cities.  I think it's laser-scanning of the land, first is on Athens, and one coming up on Cairo.
Also, I like Drain the Oceans , where they do a scan of the ocean or lake bottom, and then a computer imaging of what it looks like without the water.
There's Drain the Great Lakes, and Drain a Sunken Pirate City--Port Royal in Jamaica.
 

 

[llkats]

I have seen a few of Drain The ———- shows.  Will look at a repeat for the PBS show. I have watched the first 2 of season 1 Time Team.  I wish they could spend more than 3 days on some of them.

[auntjess]

I just watched the Athens show, and admit I fell asleep.  Maybe it was just that I was tired.

[auntjess]

Loved the Drain the China Seas.  I've liked them all, but this solves several old mysteries with what they reveal.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Maybe technically doesn't count - as it covers other topics and whatnot - but watching some episodes of a What on Earth? mini-marathon (probably the same every week), on the Science Channel.

Have had quite a few archaelogical topics/discoveries in the 3 or 4 episodes I've watched.

I like these types of shows.  Sometimes I could watch hours and hours of these types of science and historical discovery or mystery sleuthing some days.

[auntjess]

I usually watch Mystic Britain, but I really don't see why the host always has to joke around, and I'd prefer the show without a host, and  just let the woman who's the expert do the show alone.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

So I've been watching Sci Channel quite a lot the past couple weeks - variety of shows & subjects - and while I get some viewing enjoyment out of the actual programs..... my god, the repeating commercials.  Especially the ones pushing Discovery+. 

Between the ads for Deadliest Catch, Single Life, the Magnolia Network, FOOD Network, etc, I reach points where I want to turn to another station and forever avoid all the channels in the whole Discovery/+ network, so as to drastically reduce the frequency of being bombarded by these constantly repeating money grabs.

Edited April 21, 2021 by iRarelyWatchTV36